Closer to Death
by Alipeeps
Summary: "I told you... the closer he is to death, the shorter a distance there is to travel." Whumpy missing scene episode tag to ep 1x10 - The Golem [SPOILERS FOR 1x10 - THE GOLEM].


_Couldn't resist expanding on some of the lovely whump in this episode. There will be a second chapter, filling in another missing scene from near the end._

**_SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 1x10 - THE GOLEM_**

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"_I told you... the closer he is to death, the shorter a distance there is to travel."_

Henry's hands were tight around Crane's throat, his thumbs pressing inexorably on his windpipe, and she could see Crane struggling to breathe, making dreadful choking noises as his body instinctively, desperately fought for air. His hands clutched at Henry's and his eyes were wide with shock and fear.

Her hands clenched unconsciously into fists as she fought the urge to intervene, to _stop this_, mindful of Henry's warning, "Once I begin you must not stop me, no matter how much you want to."

And oh how she wanted to, as she watched helplessly as Crane's eyes rolled and drooped closed, his struggles ceasing and his grip on Henry's wrists loosening. As he finally lost consciousness, his body slumped heavily and Henry moved with him, loosing his grip around Crane's throat to lower him to the floor almost gently.

When Abbie took a step towards them, Henry's head snapped around to glare at her and she faltered; as she'd seen happen once before, his eyes had turned wholly, eerily, black. He turned back to Crane, laying a hand on his chest and staring, seemingly sightlessly, into the distance.

She swallowed. "Is he...?"

"He is... with her. In purgatory." Henry's voice was as distant as his black, oily gaze. Then, with a sigh, he sat back and turned to face her again. His eyes were normal. He regarded her calmly as she hurried forward and knelt beside Crane, slipping a hand into the open neck of his shirt to feel for a pulse. It was there. A little fast, a little thready, but there. She breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"So now what?"

"Now," murmured Henry, "we wait."

It was not a long wait... but it felt like hours. She had no idea of how the passage of time in purgatory related to time in the real world; when Katrina had contacted her she'd been driving on an empty road and had "awakened" from the vision to find herself staring down the headlights of an oncoming semi. Surely she couldn't have been "away" for too long or she'd have run off the road?

But the time seemed to pass ridiculously slowly with Crane lying sprawled on the floor, his usually expressive face slack in unconsciousness. He was so very, very still, his chest barely rising and falling and more than once she found herself leaning over him to just reassure herself that he was actually breathing.

At first she stayed crouched beside him but as time went on with no sign of Crane waking, she began to feel restless. She found herself pacing the cabin, unable to settle, her gaze straying constantly to Crane, waiting for him, _willing him_, to wake up. Henry, by contrast, was as still as she was active. He waited patiently, his calm gaze alternating between contemplating Crane's still form and watching her pace.

When Crane awoke it was sudden; one minute he was unconscious, unmoving, the next he was jerking awake, his eyes open wide, gasping in a desperate breath.

"Crane?"

She hurried to him as he rolled awkwardly onto his side, his movements ungainly and uncoordinated, reaching to help him as he struggled to rise. He staggered as she helped him to his feet and she could feel him trembling but he waved off her support and half-fell onto a seat.

Henry was muttering something about Crane's body experiencing a physical reaction but Crane was still breathing heavily, like he'd just run a race, and clutching at his neck. He turned accusatory eyes on Henry and rasped out disbelievingly, "You strangled me!"

Relief flooded through her. He was okay. It was quickly replaced by exasperation, however; it appeared his trip to purgatory had done little to improve Crane's mood. She raised her eyebrows at him as she translated for Henry, "He means "Thank you"."

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_TBC..._


End file.
